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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22779400">Lost in The Abyss</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chica56/pseuds/Chica56'>Chica56</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Apex Legends (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Based on some stuff that happened in a discord server, Guardians - Freeform, The Abyss/True Hell/The Nothingness, There’s a few characters I didn’t mention because they only appeared for a little while, Void Beasts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:41:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,243</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22779400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chica56/pseuds/Chica56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Broken gear, accidental phasing, and bad luck results in Wraith ending up in another dimension…A dimension nobody would ever want to be trapped in.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Vanishing Act</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith‘s gear is damaged during a match, leading to unexpected results.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shots fired, and they’re hitting me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold still, mon amie! We’re coming!”</p><p> </p><p>Wattson and Wraith jumped up and ran towards the rooftop of the building they were in. They could see another squad shooting at Mirage, who had gone out to get supplies. Wraith phased and jumped down to help him while Wattson kneeled down and pulled out her Triple Take. Wraith ran over to the other squad and opened fire, downing one of them. The other two turned to shoot back, but Wraith dove behind cover before the shots could hit her. Wattson successfully shot another teammate, breaking their shields. Wraith and Mirage jumped out of their cover to shoot the remaining squad members, only for one of them to jump on Wraith. </p><p> </p><p>They pulled out a knife and tried to stab her multiple times, but she blocked the attacks and shoved them off. Mirage shot them in the head, killing them, and chased after the final squadmate. Wraith got up and followed him, reaching him just as he shot them, eliminating the whole squad.</p><p> </p><p>“Phew, that was close. Thanks for saving my ass back there.” Mirage said. Wraith smiled softly and chuckled a little. She heard something crackling and looked down, only to see the device on her arm sending out sparks.</p><p> </p><p>Oh crap.</p><p> </p><p>Upon closer inspection, it looked like the enemy that jumped her had slashed it. Wraith started fiddling with it, trying to get it to respond, only to be met with more sparks and a glitchy screen. She cursed under her breath and smacked it.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay, Wraith?” Mirage asked. He leaned forward a little to see what was happening, only to reel back a little when electricity started crackling around Wraith’s arms. Something wasn’t right.</p><p> </p><p>“Is everything alright?” Wattson asked, trotting over to her teammates. Wraith started to panic and backed away. She started phasing in and out, looking almost like she was glitching. Her voices started getting loud and she shook her head, trying to ignore them, but they wouldn’t stop.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“You’re not safe.”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“You need to fix it.”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“You’re phasing out.”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Fix the device.”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I think your thing is busted…lemme take a look at i—”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>“Don’t let him near you.”</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Stay back.” Wraith demanded. She backed away more and tried to take the device off, but her shaky hands made it difficult. The voices started to get louder, but she couldn’t even tell what they were trying to say. She clutched her head, but they just kept getting louder.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, it’s okay, look at me.” Mirage stepped closer to Wraith, reaching an arm out. “Just fo—”</p><p> </p><p>“I said stay back!” Wraith yelled, shoving the trickster away and shocking him, making him fall to the ground. A surge of intense pain shot up Wraith’s arm, making her cry out and clutch her arm. More electricity started crackling around her as she started to phase away.</p><p> </p><p>“WRAITH!”</p><p> </p><p>Too late.</p><p> </p><p>Wattson tried to reach out for Wraith before she disappeared. Wattson stared in shock before quickly shaking her head and kneeling down next to Mirage to look him over for injuries. She got a slight zap when she touched him.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright, mon amie?” She asked worriedly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, I’m fine…” Mirage groaned. He wasn’t injured, thankfully, but his body hurt from the shock and he felt dizzy.</p><p> </p><p>A beeping noise made Wattson look at her wristband. Wraith was gone and the words “SIGNAL LOST'' flashed in red. It didn’t even register that she died, she just vanished from the match entirely. The two of them looked at each other, then where Wraith had been standing. They were dumbstruck. How does someone just…<em> disappear </em> like that? What even caused it?</p><p> </p><p>And more importantly, where the hell did Wraith go?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Dangerous New World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith ends up in an unusual dimension and encounters something nobody would want to see.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>One moment Wraith was standing in front of her worried teammates, the next moment she’s surrounded by darkness and feels like she’s falling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seconds later she hits the ground and starts rolling down a hill, hitting a tree at the bottom. She groaned in pain and curled up, her whole body hurting from the fall. When she opens her eyes, she’s met with wild grey grass. Wait, since when was grass grey?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith slowly got up, clutching her side and looking around. This was NOT the void. The sky was pitch black and there was flat land as far as the eye could see, with a few dead trees scattered around. The trees were a very dark purple, so dark that they almost looked black. Looking around a little more, she saw a more dense patch of trees and what appeared to be an old building. Wraith’s head started to hurt and the voices started repeating the same thing over and over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re not safe here.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith shook her head to clear it a little, then slowly walked towards the building. It was in ruins; only some parts of the walls were still standing and the roof was almost completely gone. It appeared to be made of a dull purple, stone-like material that she’d never seen before with odd symbols carved into it. The floors were made of the same wood as the trees, but most of it had weeds growing through the cracks or had rotted away entirely. She couldn’t tell what the building was supposed to be; any evidence of its original purpose likely lost to time. She stepped over the rubble and looked around the inside. She jumped a bit when she saw something in the corner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A dead body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t frightened because it was dead—she’d seen plenty of dead bodies before—but because it was there in the first place, and torn to pieces. Other people had been here before?! But….did they build this place? Or did they come here when it was already in ruins? Wraith pushed those questions away and took a closer look at the remains. The deep scratch marks covering the body—or at least what remained of it—and the walls meant they were torn apart by some kind of animal. The voices got a little louder, emphasizing how dangerous the place was. Wraith backed away from the corpse and was about to leave when she heard a low growl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“It’s behind you.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around, she was met with a creature unlike anything she had ever seen before. It resembled a large wolf, but its body was pitch black with the exception of far too many glowing white eyes and appeared to shift and change shape slightly. The voices went quiet, then they all shouted the same thing at once.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“RUN.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith spun around and started running away, angering the beast. It began chasing her. Wraith tried phasing out of instinct, only to be met with sparks and buzzing sounds. Her gear was still broken. She pulled her Wingman off of her belt and tried to shoot at the monster, but the bullets passed right through it, making her eyes widen in shock. The beast lunged at her and she quickly jumped away from it. She frantically looked around for somewhere to hide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Go to the forest.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ran towards the forest, hoping to lose the wolf among the trees. She started winding around the dense forest and even crossing over her trail a few times, confusing the monster. It eventually lost her and gave up, lumbering away in defeat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith leaned against a tree and tried to catch her breath. The voices became somewhat quieter, and she was able to hear flowing water. She followed the noise, eventually coming across a stream. She dropped to her knees and drank some of the water, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. After catching her breath a little, she shuffled over to a tree and sat down with her back against it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith hugged her knees to her chest and tried to keep the tears from falling. For the first time in who knows how many years, she was genuinely afraid. She was completely alone with no way to contact anyone and no way to leave. It reminded her far too much of when she was trapped in those damn IMC labs. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she didn’t bother to wipe it away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hated being alone. The silence was too much.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Breaking News</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Word goes out of Wraith’s disappearance, leaving her fellow legends to wonder what happened to her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was all over the news.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“BREAKING NEWS: APEX LEGEND ‘WRAITH’ MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“WELL-KNOWN LEGEND VANISHES SUDDENLY”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“FAMOUS APEX LEGEND ‘WRAITH’ DECLARED MISSING”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The legends were gathered in a lounge room after the match, watching the broadcast with worry. Mirage paced back and forth, a million questions racing through his head. How did this happen? Was it from the fight? Her gear had been working fine before….</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“During today’s Apex Games match, the well-known competitor Wraith mysteriously vanished during the match. According to eyewitness testimony from her teammates and video surveillance footage, some of her gear had malfunctioned after an attack and made her phase unintentionally, but not return.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>God, he hated giving that testimony.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How the hell did </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen?” Bangalore asked, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Mirage answered, throwing his arms up. “She’d been jumped by some guy and the thingy on her arm got messed up. Nat, back me up here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it might have been slashed.” Wattson added. “I was able to see it a little.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn…” Banglore said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it possible that she is still in the void?” Pathfinder piped up. “That equipment is what allows her to enter the void temporarily. Perhaps it malfunctioned and she is unable to leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Her signal doesn’t disappear when she’s in the void.” Lifeline replied, looking up from her drone. “If she was in the void, they’d be able to see where she was.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was a bunch of electricity comin’ off of her, though. It could’ve zapped her wristband or something.” Mirage said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose we can’t know anything for certain. Nobody here knows anything about how phasing technology works except her.” Bangalore muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mirage sighed and flopped down onto the couch next to Wattson. They were both worried sick about her, and it was easy to see. Everyone was a little worried. What if she never came back? What if she did, but she wasn’t the same? They couldn’t even imagine what she was going through right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t anything they were able to do. All they could do was wait and hope for her return.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Guardian Angel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith meets a new ally and learns a little more about the strange place she’s in.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Wraith didn’t know how long she’d sat there crying, but she didn’t care. Not like anybody would hear her, anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed and wiped her face with her sleeve. A nearby rustling sound made her look around frantically. Was that wolf thing back? Her hand hovered near her kunai as she looked for any sign of that monstrosity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is no need to be afraid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who was that?! It almost sounded like it was inside her head, but it wasn’t from her voices….</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s there?” Wraith demanded, sitting upright gripping her kunai. Looking around, her eyes landed on a small creature emerging from the bushes. It resembled a fox with black fur and odd blue markings. Its three eyes had no pupils and seemed to glow softly. Was that what had been talking to her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please lower your weapon. I will not hurt you.” The fox said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You can trust him.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith slowly lowered her kunai, putting it back on her belt. The fox approached her slowly, tilting his head curiously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What.…what are you?” Wraith asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am a guardian. I am tasked with helping those who have ended up in this dimension, like you.” His mouth didn’t move when he spoke. How was he doing that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What even is this place?” She sat back down and looked around. Wherever she was, it creeped her out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has many names. The nothingness, the true hell, the abyss…it depends on who you ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, other people have been here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, yes. They often end up here due to an accident involving phasing between dimensions. I would assume that is how you ended up here as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. My…” Wraith showed the device on her arm to the fox. “Some of my gear broke. I need this for phasing.” The fox looked at the device and sniffed it curiously, then looked up at Wraith.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can help you leave this place. I will guide you out of here and keep you safe.” the fox said, sitting down in front of her. Wraith thought for a moment, then nodded. She’d take any chance she would get to leave this place. The fox got up and laid down on her lap, curling up and wrapping his tail around himself. Wraith was surprised for a moment, then started to gently pat him. His fur was really soft.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a name?” Wraith asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Guardians don’t often have names.” The fox replied. Wraith thought for a moment, then got an idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about Noir?” The fox’s ears perked up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm…I like it. What is your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renee. Most people just call me Wraith, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is nice to meet you, Wraith. You should rest for now, I will keep watch.” Wraith nodded and shifted to a more comfortable position, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. Noir rested in Wraith’s lap and kept an eye out for anything unusual.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Searching For Answers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mirage and Wattson try to figure out what happened to their friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A full day had passed, and still no sign of Wraith. There weren’t any matches happening that day, so everyone was able to take a break and relax…well, everyone except Mirage and Wattson. The two of them were still worried sick about their friend, and nobody really blamed them. How else were you supposed to feel when your friend disappears to who-knows-where?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them spent the day looking everywhere for any information relating to accidents with phasing technology, but came up with nothing. They couldn’t ask any of the other legends about it since nobody else knew how it worked, and they couldn’t find anything too useful in Wraith’s dorm. There were some messy-looking blueprints and notes as to how it worked, but nothing about what happens when phasing goes wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mirage flopped down face first onto the couch and groaned. They’d spent </span>
  <em>
    <span>hours </span>
  </em>
  <span>searching for anything that could help them figure out where Wraith ended up, but there was nothing. They didn’t even know if this kind of thing had ever happened before. For all they knew Wraith could be standing right next to them in the void, trying to get their attention somehow. The thought of her desperately trying to call out to them was awful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wattson sat down next to the trickster and gently stroked his hair. He let out a low groan and shuffled forward, resting his head on her lap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure where else we could look…we checked everywhere.” Wattson said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think there’s anywhere else we </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> look. Maybe, uh...Bangalore? IMC did phasing stuff, didn’t they?” Mirage responded, lifting his head up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She was a soldier, not a pilot or a scientist. She wouldn’t know anything about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“True, true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps we can ask Crypto for help? He may be able to find something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That guy hates everybody’s guts, there’s no way he’d help us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wattson sighed. He was right, Crypto wasn’t a fan of most of the people there. She could almost hear him saying no and telling them to leave him alone. There wasn’t any point in asking someone for help when you already know what the answer would be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just hope Wraith’s okay, wherever she is.” Mirage mumbled. “I miss her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do too. I hope she comes back soon.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. More Bite Than Bark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith and Noir encounter an old enemy and try to figure out how to leave the Abyss.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So those things are called void beasts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. They can take many shapes, although at times it can be difficult to tell what they are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith and Noir were walking through the forest, stepping over fallen trees and ducking under low branches. Noir had been telling Wraith a little about the dimension she was in. She couldn’t help but feel unsettled, though. Her voices repeating variations of “You’re not safe here” constantly didn’t help with her anxiety. At least being with Noir seemed to lessen the nervous feeling a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They can be humanoid or animal-like, but their bodies can’t maintain a solid form. They tend to look warped and distorted as a result.” Noir continued. “They’re also highly aggressive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got chased by one earlier. It looked like some kind of wolf.” Wraith said. “I tried shooting it, but nothing happened.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Void beasts aren’t affected by normal weapons. I’ve seen it many times before.” Noir responded. He looked around, his eyes landing on a large tree. “Ah, here it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tree had vibrant purple leaves and many blue fruits hanging from it. Noir climbed up the trunk and carefully walked along one of the branches. He gingerly picked a fruit off of the branch and carried it back down by the stem, bringing it to Wraith.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should eat something, you’ll need the energy. Then we can come up with a plan.” He said, dropping the fruit into Wraith’s hand. It looked almost like a blue apple. She’d wiped it off on her pants and took a bite. It was somewhat sweet. She sat down on a rock and continued chowing down on the fruit. When she finished she tossed the core onto the ground and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She was about to thank Noir when they heard a low growl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Something’s coming.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith pulled out her kunai and looked around. Noir had heard it too and his ears went back. The two of them stood still, waiting for something to happen. There were fast footsteps approaching.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Danger, move.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith didn’t process it quickly enough. A shadowy figure leapt at Wraith, far too many teeth bared. Noir jumped up and tackled the beast, knocking it away from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the same wolf from before. It growled and looked at Noir with hate in its many eyes. Noir’s markings started to glow and he leapt at the wolf, biting down on its neck. The wolf howled in pain and thrashed around, flinging Noir off of it and knocking him into a tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noir!” Wraith called out. Noir whined in pain and tried to get up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>“Use your kunai.”</strong>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith turned to the void beast and threw her kunai at it, piercing the beast and making it cry out in pain. She was surprised, she didn’t expect the blade to do anything. Noir ran over to the wolf and leapt onto its back, biting down on its neck again and glowing brighter. The wolf thrashed around and tried to knock Noir off again, but it seemed to be getting weaker. It charged at Wraith and she jumped out of the way, throwing another kunai at its side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>“Stab it.”</strong>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith jumped onto it, pulled out one of the kunais, and stabbed it in the head. The wolf thrashed around a bit before collapsing. Noir stopped glowing and let go of its neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait…how did you…?” Noir muttered. He hopped off the wolf’s back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Wraith replied. “I-I didn’t expect it to actually work.” She pulled the kunais out of the beast. Surprisingly enough, they came out completely clean. She put them back on her belt and stood up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think my bite may have made it weak to normal weapons. Good to know.” Noir commented. “You’re one of the first humans I’ve met that’s successfully killed a void beast.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Wraith felt proud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Normally I would take you to a special place to bring you back home, but we’re quite far from it. It would take about a month in your dimension’s time.” Wraith sighed and thought for a moment. She looked down at the device on her arm. The screen was broken beyond repair and the outside had a massive gash in it, but the internal parts could be fixed. She got an idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would it be possible to scavenge some materials from the ruins?” Wraith asked. Noir thought for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe so. It’s not entirely unlikely that someone may have left something behind.” Noir answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>it might be able to fix my gear. I just need…” Wraith looked at the device again. “A screwdriver, some wires, and something conductive. It looks like some wires were cut and a few small pieces are missing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wire and conductive material shouldn’t be too difficult to find. You may need to find something to substitute for a screwdriver, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine by me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then let’s get going, shall we?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Routine Maintenance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mirage and Wattson try to go back to a normal routine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been two days since Wraith disappeared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A match was coming up the next day, but there was still no sign of her. The game officials planned to place a newer competitor alongside Mirage and Wattson to fill the empty slot on their team. The two of them didn’t mind. They hoped the match would take their minds off of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mirage sat in his workshop, doing maintenance on his holotech equipment. A few wires had been fried and needed to be replaced, probably from when he got zapped. The sound of the door opening made him look up, only to see Wattson peeking in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in?” She asked. Mirage nodded and she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She walked over to Mirage and hugged him from behind. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m alright.” Mirage replied. “A bit tired, but other than that I’m good. Have you been feeling alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still a little worried about Wraith. It’s been two days now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m kinda worried about her, too. For all we know she could be in a whole other dimension.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried doing a little more research, but I couldn’t find anything. I didn’t really expect to find much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mirage reached over and patted Wattson on the head, earning a happy hum in response. He admired her determination.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is all your stuff ready for the match tomorrow?” He asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything is ready. Need some help with your gear?” Wattson responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I could use a little help. I think some of the wires are fried.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wattson let go of Mirage and stood next to him, helping him fix his gear. A little routine maintenance was a good way to keep your mind off of things.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Dragon’s Domain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith and Noir scavenge for materials and nearly avoid a massive battle.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Wait, he did WHAT?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I was joking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That Elliott man sounds very strange…and possibly a little dumb.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He can be kinda stupid sometimes, but he means well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith and Noir had traveled quite a lot to get to the ruins, chatting as they walked. They were pretty scattered, and they couldn’t stray too far from the forest since it was their only source of food and water, so it made things a little difficult. The large number of void beasts wandering around didn’t help much, either. Thankfully they had at least managed to find a small piece of plastic that could act as a screwdriver. It wasn’t much, but it was a good start.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had reached another ruin, a slightly smaller one. Wraith put a hand on her head, trying to block out the voices. They’d been talking nonstop. It made her wary of entering the ruins, fearing if there was some kind of monster in there. Noir hopped on top of a pile of rubble and looked at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is everything alright?” Noir asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s…” Wraith sighed. “I have these….voices, in my head. They usually warn me of danger, but right now all they’re doing is making my head hurt. I-I don’t really feel good about these ruins.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have the voices warned you of a monster inside the building?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith listened to the voices for a moment. It was the same thing they’d been saying for the past who-knows-how-long, and no mention of a monster. She shook her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I suppose you’ll never know if what we need is in there if you don’t take the chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was right. Wraith took a deep breath and stepped over the rubble, entering the ruins. The voices became a little quieter. Wraith breathed a sigh of relief and started looking around for anything useful. She searched through a patch of tall grass and felt something thin and rubbery. Holding it up, she realized it was a loose wire. She continued feeling around for more wires until she was satisfied with the amount she had. She put them in her belt bag and stretched a little, her back hurt from being hunched over for so long. Noir trotted up to her with a small piece of metal in his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Noir.” Wraith said, taking the piece of metal and patting the fox on the head. She stood up and wiped the dust off of her knees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Something’s coming.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith’s eyes widened and she pulled out her kunai, looking around frantically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is something wrong?” Noir asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something’s coming.” Wraith said. Noir’s ears went back and he let out a small growl. Wraith peeked outside the ruins and looked around. There wasn’t anything nearby, but it couldn’t have been a false alarm. The voices never gave false alarms. She was about to turn back when she heard a loud roar that made her stomach drop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no….” Noir climbed on top of a pile of rubble and looked around. There was another roar, and what sounded like something flying around. The two of them looked up at the sky and went visibly pale at what they saw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A massive creature flew through the sky, creating strong gusts of wind with every flap of its leathery wings. It had to be at least the size of a Leviathan and was covered in shiny, metallic black scales. Its head was decorated with six grey horns and its six eyes glowed and eerie purple as they scanned the area for a landing spot. The ground shook when it landed, folding up its massive wings and looking around, it’s long tail gently swishing behind it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What. The fuck. Is. That.” Wraith asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-That’s…” Noir gulped a little. “That’s a void dragon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A</span>
  <em>
    <span> what?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The most dangerous void beast of them all...and the most powerful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what do we do now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re a bit far away from it, so as long as we don’t bring too much attention to ourselves we shou—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noir was cut off by another loud roar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Something’s coming.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A second void dragon swooped down, clawing at the first dragon. The first dragon let out a loud roar and started spewing purple flames at the other dragon, which kept clawing at it. Wraith stared at the scene in shock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Danger, move.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have to go, NOW.” Noir ordered, hopping off the pile of rubble. The two of them started running out of the ruins as a burst of fire coated the area in flames. The dragons continued fighting, whipping up strong winds and destroying some of the ruins, sending debris flying through the air. It was like something out of a movie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The hell is happening?!” Wraith shouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re highly aggressive and territorial, one of them must have landed on the other’s territory!” Noir shouted back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Above you.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith barely managed to avoid being crushed by flying debris. The dragons were still duking it out, clawing and biting and breathing fire at each other. Noir wasn’t kidding when he said they were super aggressive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can hide in these ruins for now, we may be safer.” Noir shouted, running towards some larger ruins. The two of them ducked down and hid inside. More debris was flung towards them, including something oddly shiny. It looked like a large black scale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Grab the scale.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith was a bit stunned. Why would she need a random scale?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You won’t be able to get one again. Get the scale NOW.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith sat up and started making her way to where the scale had landed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wraith, get back here!” Noir called out. Wraith continued making her way towards the scale, watching the dragons and keeping an ear out for any warnings. She quickly found the scale, grabbed it, and ran back to the ruins. It felt smooth and cold, almost like metal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Use the scale with your device.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith started pulling the materials she had collected out of her belt bag. There had to be some reason why the voices told her to get that scale. Maybe it was the missing piece she needed?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Noir asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I can get my device to work somehow. I might be able to get out of here.” Wraith answered. She picked up a small, sharp piece of metal and used it to clip some of the wires. She connected them to the wires she had found before and carefully placed a small piece of metal inside the device and pushed it into place with a piece of plastic. She looked at the loose wires and the scale she had found. After taking a deep breath to steady herself, she touched the wires to the scale. There was only one way to find out if it would function.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please work…” Wraith muttered to herself. She activated the device and the screen started lighting up and glitching. It was working!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Not here. Too dangerous.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly took the wires off of the scale, stopping it from doing anything. This wasn’t the best place to do it, especially with the dragons still fighting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We need to get somewhere far away. It’s not safe here.” Wraith said. Noir nodded and the two of them ran out of the ruins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was quite the long trip to a safer area, but they made it with only a few scratches. Running and dodging flames and flying debris was exhausting. They entered a larger set of ruins, much farther away from the dragons and quite sturdy. Wraith sat on what seemed to be an old staircase and tried to catch her breath. She looked down at the device on her arm and the scale in her hand. It seemed like only a few hours ago she’d entered this place with no idea what was happening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m proud of you, Wraith.” Noir spoke up. “You’ll be one of the first humans to leave this dimension in one piece.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Wraith responded. She stood up and took a deep breath, then reconnected the scale to the device. She activated it, successfully creating a portal. When she did, the voices went quiet. She’d finally be able to go home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Well…I suppose it’s time for us to go our separate ways. It was an honor to guide you, Wraith.” Noir said. He turned and started walking away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Don’t go without him.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noir, wait!” Wraith called out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noir’s ears perked up and he turned back around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want you to come with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Noir said, shocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can stay with me. You don’t have to be in this place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I…I don’t know if I can.” Noir’s ears and tail drooped. “I don’t know if I am able to leave this place. For all I know there could be something blocking me from joining you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’ll never know if you don’t take the chance.” Noir smiled and chuckled a little, remembering what he had said to her earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose you’re right.” Noir walked over to Wraith and let her pick him up, carrying him in her arms. She turned to the portal and took a deep breath before stepping inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was finally going home.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Going Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith finally returns home with her new friend.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Wraith stepped out of the portal, cold air hitting her and making her shiver. She looked up, only to see that she was in front of the dorms. It was dark out, with the stars twinkling in the sky and the crickets chirping in the bushes. Noir looked around, fascinated by this strange, new world. His new home. Wraith smiled and patted him on the head, then started walking towards the building. She pushed the door open with her shoulder and looked around. The building was almost completely dark with the exception of a few lights coming from the rooms. The clock on the wall read 11:30 PM. Has she really been gone for most of the day?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Noir hopped out of Wraith’s arms and walked beside her, sniffing at everything. She walked down the hallway and looked around. Most of the doors were shut and no light came from the cracks. She stopped at one of the doors and tried to read the sign, but it was too dark to tell what it said. The door was open slightly and she peeked inside. Wattson, Mirage, and Octane were sitting at a table and chatting about something. Wraith quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” She said quietly. The three legends turned around, only to have their faces go from curiosity to shock upon realizing who it was. Mirage let go of the empty cup he was holding, letting it clatter to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my….Wraith!” Wattson exclaimed, running up to the skirmisher and hugging her tightly. Wraith let out a noise of surprise but gladly returned the hug, relieved to see another human again. Mirage looked stunned as he approached the two of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-You….you’re….” Mirage stammered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m back.” Wraith said, smiling softly. Mirage hugged the two of them, earning a chuckle from Wraith and a giggle from Wattson. The two of them let go of her and both had relieved looks on their faces.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These guys were so worried about you, amiga. You were gone for three days!” Octane commented. Wraith’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Three </span>
  <em>
    <span>days?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She repeated. Wait, she had been gone for THAT long? She thought it was only for a couple of hours! She must have lost track of time…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long and stressful three days.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have a seat, then.” Mirage said, leading her to the table. Wattson looked behind Wraith and saw Noir behind her, looking very confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, who is this?” She asked, kneeling down. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s wha— WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!” Mirage yelled, nearly falling over in his seat. He jumped up and stood on his chair, holding a plastic cup as if it would somehow protect him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am a friend of Wraith's. I helped her leave the dimension she was trapped in.” Noir answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OHDEARGODITCANTALK—“ Mirage lost his balance and fell to the ground, making Octane burst out laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dimension? As in the void, or…?” Wattson asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a long story.” Wraith muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can confirm that.” Noir added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“M-Maybe it can wait, then. You look exhausted, you should rest.” Mirage suggested, standing up and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Wraith sighed and nodded, wanting nothing more than to collapse onto her bed and sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s get you to your room.” Wattson said, taking the skirmisher’s hand and leading her to her dorm room, with Noir following close behind. Mirage rubbed his backside and followed them, keeping his distance from his friend’s unusual new companion.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wraith gets visitors while she’s recovering.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A few days had passed since Wraith’s return.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had been taking a break from the games in order to let herself recover. She was incredibly exhausted and a little malnourished, likely from eating nothing but those weird blue fruits for the past three days. A few of the other legends visited her and helped take care of her, and Noir kept her company. Explaining what had happened to them was…interesting, to say the least. And by “interesting” I mean half of them being curious and the other half being freaked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wraith now sat in her dorm, doing repairs to her gear. The wires were completely replaced, as well as a few internal pieces, and she was currently putting another piece in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Someone’s at the door.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a knock at the door a second later. Wraith put down the device and tools she was using, walking over to the door and opening it. Mirage and Wattson stood there, the former holding two plastic bags. Wraith moved out of the way so the two of them could enter the room, closing the door behind them. Wattson gave the skirmisher a hug while Mirage placed the bags on the table and started digging through them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How have you been doing?” Wattson asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been alright.” Wraith responded. “Elliott, how was the match?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know how it went!” Mirage said. The two women snickered. Mirage had been having </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> luck that match, and he was still a little grumpy about it. Wraith and Noir saw the whole thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We brought you some lunch.” Wattson said. They walked over to the table and sat down. Noir hopped up on Wattson’s lap and curled up, letting her pet him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it could’ve been worse. You could’ve been first blood.” Wraith commented.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would’ve preferred that over launching myself into the ocean. At least with first blood I would’ve died fighting!” Mirage groaned, throwing his hands in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that’s what happens when you overestimate your distance when trying to land on the supply ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The ship sped up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The ship doesn’t change speeds that suddenly, Elliot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure it does!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You still missed it by a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was quite amusing to watch.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not helping, Noir!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaaaah this was a lot of fun to write! This might actually be the longest fic I’ve ever written, it was like 16 pages in the original google doc isbsjbskdnidn</p><p>I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a comment and some kudos if you did!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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